Fence assembly with projected light

ABSTRACT

A fence assembly with solar power light includes a plurality of transverse members and a plurality of posts. The posts are made of light transmitting material. By inserting the protrusions at the transverse members into the openings of the posts, the transverse members are connected to the posts. A solar panel is mounted to the top surface of each of the transverse members for collecting solar energy to power the light emitting elements in the transverse member and to charge a rechargeable battery. Alternatively, cold cathode tubes and light bulbs are used as the lighting devices instead of the light emitting elements. The cold cathode tubes are mounted to the bottom side of each of the posts. Power is obtained from external power source and supplied via a voltage adapter to the cold cathode tubes.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to fencing, and more particularly pertains to a fence assembly with solar power light that utilizes electricity generated by solar power to illuminate.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Fence is mostly made of wood. It is stuck to the soil or ground to form a boundary for raising animals or for gardening. Currently, fence is also used for decoration or to define a private area to prevent unauthorized entrances. Because of the expensive cost of woody fence, more and more people prefer synthetic fences. There are many kinds of synthetic fences in the market, which are made of materials other than wood, e.g. plastic. The synthetic fences are light, easy to assemble or disassemble and require low maintenance. Moreover, it is not needed to paint the fences and they are rigid to prevent decay. Further, accessories, such as light fixtures, receptacles, and security devices can be incorporated to the fences to provide particular functions.

A fence generally comprises a number of posts and stringers. One stringer is transversely placed between two adjacent posts. By connecting the posts and stringers, a continuous wall is formed. The stringers are usually fastened to the posts by engagement. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,357,000, a molded plastic fence section is disclosed. Each section is capable of being locked to an adjacent identical section to make up a continuous fence. Each fence section includes a pair of substantially parallel stringers. A plurality of pickets is formed integral with the stringers. The pickets are substantially perpendicular to the stringers and are placed into the earth.

Since a fence is generally used at outdoors, lighting is practically required. Some of the commercially available fencing products provide lights for illumination, using cables or wires running between adjacent posts to supply electricity. An illuminated fence system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,887,856. The illuminated fence system includes a plurality of elongate vertical posts and elongate horizontal cross members formed of hollow modular prefabricated plastic. Each of the vertical posts has an aperture formed on a side with a light generating means disposed in the aperture. The light generating means includes light bulbs, florescent tubes and fiber optics means. It is found that such a structure increases the manufacture cost and maintenance cost. The wires are susceptible to damage and electricity leakage may happen, especially after the fence has been used over a long period of time. Also, the power consumption of the lights is tremendous. Disadvantageously, it costs a lot of money for keeping the lights on. It is also noted that the appearances of the fences are quite simple and ordinary.

Therefore, it is desired to have a fence that is easy to use and can provide high intensity illumination economically and has beautiful appearance.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In view of the foregoing disadvantages in the conventional fences, an object of the present invention is to provide a fence assembly comprising a plurality of posts and transverse members. The posts and the transverse members are connected by inserting the protrusions at the transverse members to the openings of the posts. It is easy to assemble the fence assembly to form a boundary or to disassemble the fence assembly for storage.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a fence assembly forming of posts and transverse members. The posts are designed to have attractive appearance to add fun to the user.

A further object of the invention is to provide a fence assembly with solar power light. A solar panel is mounted for collecting solar energy which is converted to electricity. The electricity is supplied to power the lighting devices for illumination and to charge a rechargeable battery which can provide electricity to the light emitting elements when solar energy is insufficient. No external power source is required and no wire or cable is needed for supplying electricity from external power source. The expense for running the lighting device can be completely saved.

A yet further object of the present invention is to provide a fence assembly with solar power light. The fence assembly comprises a plurality of posts and transverse members, wherein the posts are made of light transmitting material. Light is projected from the light emitting elements of the transverse members to the posts that make the posts look brilliant.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a fence assembly that uses cold cathode tubes for lighting.

To achieve the above objects, in accordance with the present invention, there is provided a fence assembly with solar power light. The fence assembly comprises a plurality of posts and transverse members. The posts are made of light transmitting material. By inserting the protrusions at the transverse members into the openings of the posts, the transverse members are connected to the posts. A solar panel is mounted to the top surface of each of the transverse members for collecting solar energy to power the light emitting elements in the transverse member and to charge a rechargeable battery. The electricity of the rechargeable battery is supplied to the light emitting elements by pushing the switch connecting to the circuit board when solar energy is insufficient.

Alternatively, cold cathode tubes and light bulbs are used as the lighting devices instead of the light emitting elements. The cold cathode tubes are mounted to the bottom side of each of the posts. Power is obtained from external power source and supplied via a voltage adapter to the cold cathode tubes.

These and other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art, from a reading of the following brief description of the drawings, the detailed description of the preferred embodiment, and the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a fence assembly with solar power light constructed in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a disassembled perspective view of the fence assembly with solar power light of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a transverse member of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a schematic view showing the transverse member of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a schematic view showing the transverse member constructed in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a fence assembly with solar power light constructed in accordance with a third embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a fence assembly with solar power light constructed in accordance with a fourth embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a fence assembly with solar power light constructed in accordance with a fifth embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a fence assembly with solar power light constructed in accordance with a sixth embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a fence assembly with solar power light constructed in accordance with a seventh embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

With reference to the drawings and in particular to FIGS. 1 and 2 that are the perspective views showing a fence assembly with solar power light constructed in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention. The fence assembly with solar power light is generally designated by the reference numeral 100, which comprises a plurality of posts 1 and a plurality of transverse members 2.

The post 1 is made of rigid and light transmitting material, comprising a body 11 and a stem 12. The body 11 is designed to have an elaborate appearance for decoration purposes. The posts can have various appearances to enhance attraction. In the first embodiment, the post 1 is of flat house shape. The stem 12 has an upper end connecting to the body 11 of the post 1 and a lower end having a sharp head for sticking into the soil or ground for stably anchoring the post 1.

The post 1 is provided with an opening 13 at each of the two sides. The opening 13 has a predetermined shape for engagement of the transverse member 2. In this embodiment, the opening 13 is of rectangular shape. As shown in the figures, one transverse member 2 is laterally arranged between two posts 1.

The transverse member 2 comprises a body 21, a solar panel 22 and two protrusions 23. The body 21 is of flat elongated shape and made of rigid material. The solar panel 22 is arranged at the top surface of the body 21 of the transverse member 2 for collecting solar energy. The solar panel 22 comprises a number of solar cells (not shown) for collecting and converting solar energy into electricity.

Please refer to FIG. 3 which shows the perspective view of the transverse member. Each of the two ends of the body 21 of the transverse member 2 is formed with a protrusion 23. The protrusion 23 has a shape corresponding to that of the opening 13 and has a dimension of slightly smaller than that of the opening 13, such that the protrusion 23 is removably insertable to the opening 13 and stably fastened to the opening 13 to secure the anchorage of the transverse member 2 between two adjacent posts 1. By means of the protrusions 23 and openings 13, the transverse members 2 can be simply assembled with the posts 1 to form the fence assembly. Also, it allows the fence assembly to be easily disassembled for storage.

FIG. 4 is a schematic view showing the interior part of the transverse member. The body 21 has a hollow cavity, in which a circuit board 25 is mounted at the bottom side. The protrusions 23 of the transverse member 2 have an opening for mounting of a light emitting element 24 to provide illumination, such as a light emitting diode (LED). It is apparent to those having ordinary skills to replace the LED with other lighting devices. The LEDs 24 are connected by a wire to the circuit board 25.

As described, the solar panel 22 at the top surface of the transverse member 2 collects solar energy. The solar panel 22 is connected by a wire to the circuit board 25 for supplying electricity to drive the LEDs 24 and for supplying electricity to charge a rechargeable battery 27 when there is excessive solar energy.

The lower central part of the circuit board 25 is connected with a switch 26. The switch 26 is protruded through an opening defined at the bottom side of the body 21 of the transverse member 2. In the daytime, the solar panel 22 collects solar energy and converts the solar energy into electricity. The electricity is supplied through the wire to the rechargeable battery 27 for storage and to the LEDs for lighting. In the nighttime or when solar energy is insufficient, the switch 26 is pushed to turn on, such that the rechargeable battery 27 is connected through the circuit board 25 to the LEDs 24 to power the LEDs 24.

The light from the LEDs projects through the openings 13 to the posts 1. Since the posts 1 are made of light transmitting material, light from the LEDs 24 transmits through the posts 1 to the surroundings to illuminate the surroundings. This also renders the posts 1 a brilliant appearance that can be easily recognized even from a distance.

FIG. 5 shows the transverse member 2 constructed in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention. The transverse member is designed with reference numeral 2 a, which is substantially identical to the transverse member 2 of the first embodiment. However, the LEDs 24 is simply arranged in the transverse member 2 a and faces to the corresponding end of the transverse member 2 a, so that the a light may be projected from the LEDs 24 toward the ends of the transverse member 2 a. Further, at least one LED 24 may be arranged downward in order to project a light downward to the ground.

FIGS. 6 and 7 respectively show the third and fourth embodiments of the present invention. In the third embodiment, the fence assembly with solar power light is designed with reference numeral 100 a, which is substantially identical to the fence assembly with solar power light 100 of the first embodiment. As mentioned, the posts can have various appearances to enhance attraction. In this embodiment, the posts 1 a are designed to imitate a trunk. This design gives the users a pleasure of doing activity in the field.

In the fourth embodiment, the fence assembly with solar power light is designed with reference numeral 100 b, which is substantially identical to the fence assembly with solar power light 100 a of the third embodiment. However, the posts 1 b are designed to be a half trunk shape.

Please refer to FIG. 8 which shows a perspective view of the fifth embodiment of the present invention. In the fifth embodiment, the fence assembly with solar power light is designed with reference numeral 100 c, which comprises a plurality of posts 1 c and a plurality of transverse members 2 b. This embodiment is different from the first embodiment in that the transverse members 2 b are not provided with solar panels and circuit boards. The transverse members 2 b comprise a body 21 and two protrusions at two ends for inserting to the openings of the posts 1 c. A cold cathode tube 24 a is mounted to the bottom side of each of the posts 1 c. The cold cathode tubes 24 a are connected in series by wires 3. A plug 5 is plugged to a power source, for example, to an outlet at wall, to obtain electricity. The plug 5 is connected to a voltage adapter 4 which converts the AC voltage to an output DC voltage that is appropriate for the operation of the cold cathode tubes 24 a. The output voltage is supplied from the voltage adapter 4 to the cold cathode tubes 24 a by wire 3 for driving the cold cathode tubes 24 a to emit light.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the sixth embodiment of the present invention. In the sixth embodiment, the fence assembly with solar power light is designed with reference numeral 100 d, which comprises a plurality of posts 1 d and a plurality of transverse members 2 b. The transverse members 2 b are identical to that of the fifth embodiment, and are not provided with solar panels and circuit boards. However, in this embodiment, a light string 29 is mounted to the bottom side of each of the posts 1 d. A plurality of side wires extends parallelly from the light string 29 and is connected to a light bulb 24 b. Similar to the fifth embodiment, a plug 5 is plugged to a power source to obtain electricity. The plug 5 is connected to the light string 29 to directly supply electricity to drive the light bulbs 24 b to emit light. No voltage adapter is arranged in this embodiment.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a fence assembly with solar power light constructed in accordance with a seventh embodiment of the present invention. In the sixth embodiment, the fence assembly with solar power light is designed with reference numeral 100 e, which comprises a plurality of posts 1 e and a plurality of transverse members 2 b. The transverse members 2 b are identical to that of the fifth embodiment, and are not provided with solar panels and circuit boards. The posts 1 e are similar to that of the sixth embodiment. A light string 29 is mounted to the bottom side of each of the posts 1 e. However, in this embodiment, each of the top surfaces of the posts 1 e is mounted with a solar panel 22 a for collecting solar energy. The solar panel 22 a comprises a number of solar cells (not shown) for collecting and converting solar energy into electricity. The solar power is supplied via a wire to the light strings 29 to drive the light bulbs 24 b to light. Preferably, the transverse members 2 b are provided with a rechargeable battery for storing the excessive solar energy and a switch for switching to supply the power from the rechargeable battery to the light bulbs 24 b.

While the invention has been described in connection with what is presently considered to the most practical and preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the disclosed embodiments, but on the contrary, is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangement included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims. 

1. A fence assembly, comprising: a plurality of posts, each of which being made of light transmitting material; a plurality of transverse members, each of which being provided with two ends for engagement of two adjacent posts, and each of the transverse members being provided with: a circuit board; at least one light emitting element arranged in the transverse members and electrically connected to the circuit board; and a solar panel arranged at a top surface of the transverse member for supplying an electricity to the light emitting element, so that a light generated by the light emitting element is projected from at least one end of the transverse member to the adjacent post.
 2. The fence assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the posts is provided with a pair of rectangular shaped openings at opposite sides respectively for engagement of a protrusion end of the corresponding transverse member.
 3. The fence assembly as claimed in claim 2, wherein the protrusion end of the transverse member is mounted with a light emitting element.
 4. The fence assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the light emitting element is arranged facing to the end of the transverse member.
 5. The fence assembly as claimed in claim 1, further comprising at least one rechargeable battery mounted on the circuit board.
 6. The fence assembly as claimed in claim 1, further comprising at least one light emitting element in the transverse member to project a light downward.
 7. A fence assembly, comprising: a plurality of posts, each of which being made of light transmitting material; a plurality of transverse members, each of which being provided with two ends for engagement of two adjacent posts; each of the posts being provided with: at least one light emitting element arranged in the post; and a solar panel arranged on the post for supplying an electricity to the light emitting element, so that a light generated by the light emitting element is projected from the post.
 8. The fence assembly as claimed in claim 7, wherein the solar panel is arranged at a top surface of the post.
 9. The fence assembly as claimed in claim 7, wherein the light emitting element comprises a cold cathode tube. 